THE TAMING OF RUNNING SNAKE



THE TAMING OF CHIEF RUNNING SNAKE





This report is a bit late. I found it difficult to write a report on an “Individual Figure Game”, or Skirmish game as some would say. Its one thing to keep track of squads, platoons, battalions, regiments, etc on the table top but keeping track of 14 individual characters, I find, is much more difficult. I was able to be somewhat accurate only because I took a lot of photos which enabled me to follow some of the action that I could not personally see from my vantage point during the game. And I was the Game Master!! We use the Desperado rules as originally written with some modifications.

I apologize in advance to the players who I may have misrepresented their play or the details of the actions of the characters they were running. But, I feel that this report is accurate in the general depiction of the action that occurred and the final results.



OVERALL VIEW - CJIEF SNAKE'S VILLAGE IN THE DISTANCE, BURNING FARMHOUSE IN THE FOREGROUND



Running Snake, longtime peaceful Indian and friend to the white men settled near his camp, was finally convinced by the tribal Medicine Man, Manitokes, to take white hostages to settle some long standing grievances. Unfortunately some of the tribe over reacted and burned some farms and the army has been sent to rescue the hostages and capture Running Snake.



HOSTAGES BEING HERDED INTO THE TEPEES



The game starts with a group of Indians guarding the hostages in their village. Dick White was Chief Running Snake, and had the Indians Tyanot, Limping Beaver and Ruptured Buffalo. Rick Bryant had the other group of Indians over by the burning farmhouse. They included Manitokes (the medicine man), Whynotme, Breaking Wind and No Name. No-name is an Apache being taken in by the tribe but who has not as yet earned his name.

The soldiers were Dick Messier with Lt. Xaviour Butt, Toot Horn and Buffalo Chip Brown; Jack Breen with Cpl. Hank Roper, Pvt. Rock Bottom and Pvt. Dogsbody; and Rich Bryant(Jr.) with  the Indian scout, Whiteman owns  him, and Pvts. Will Betemptpted and Tyler Piggs.

Any of the Army groups could come in at entry points A and B, and at only one of the C points. The map shows their selection which had to be made before the game started. Limping Beaver drew first blood in killing Pvt. Piggs the moment he came through the pass at C but was later wounded by Pvt Betempted severely enough that he was out of the action for the remainder of the game. Running Snake moved to the woods to the SW of the village to a rocky outcrop where he could take under fire any one coming from the vicinity of the farm house. Buffalo Chip Brown who had a Sharps rifle took up a position in a stone outcroping, unfortunately even with the longer range of his weapon all the action took place too far from him to be effective. Lt Butts moved on near the farm house only to be taken down by No Name but not before killing No Name’s horse.

NO NAME TAKES COVER BEHID HIS DOWNED HORSE, MAITOKES (WITH SPEAR) AND WHYNOTME RIDE PAST

No Name then moved to a copse of trees to protect the flank looking out on the B pass and lived a charmed life as he was taken under fire by at least four soldiers, taking several small wounds before killing  Pvt. Rock Bottom. Breaking Wind was killed about this time, but I’m not sure who got him.

Ruptured Buffalo, on horseback, charged Whiteman owns him, on foot, but lost the melee anyway-there was now no one between Whiteman owns him and the hostages!

WHITEMAN OWNS HIM  (ON RIGHT) WINS HIS MELEE

Manitokes, Chief Snake and Whynotme all headed for the village, Manitokes being killed by the army group near entry B and Whynotme and Toots Horn had a running melee on horseback until Whynotme took a chance of evading the melee and jumping down from his horse but Toot Horn  was quicker and gave him the Coup-de-grace!

 TOOTS HORN (FOREGROUND) TAKES OFF AFTER MANITOKES (BETWEEN THE TREES PASSING THE DYING BREAKING WIND). NO NAME IS IN THE WOOD HOLDING DOWN THE FLANK

Whiteman owns him headed for the Indian wigwams as did Chief Snake. Whiteman got there first, slit open a tent to release the hostages and was chased inside by Chief Snake. Whiteman got the draw and killed the chief, ending the game with an overwhelming Army victory. All the Indians were dead or immobilized except for No Name , who was badly wounded, while the Army had lost 4 of their 9 men and released the hostages.

Rich Bryant (Jr.) was clearly the hero in this game as, having lost 2 of his 3 characters, he managed to both kill Chief Snake and free the hostages.